Morgan Rielly "It's stanley cup or bust. I think that’s how our group feels. Anything short of that will be a failure."

[The Shadow]

If this was any other team nobody would care. But because it’s the Leafs the haters will jump on it.

How can anyone critique an athlete for wanting to win?

 

[canuckslover10]

why do leafs players always put this pressure on themselves besides side stepping the obvious set up

 

[FrozenJagrt]

For me, last season was it. Win the cup or blow it up. That group has had all the time in the world to learn and grow, yet they've shown nothing. At minimum, they should have traded either Marner or Nylander for a legitimate top pairing defenseman. Instead, they gave Nylander a huge contract and it sounds like they're going to do the same with Marner. The group has the talent to win the cup, but I don't know if they have the stones. I'm haven't been this pessimistic about an upcoming season since 2015/16.

 

[Strangelove]

"To a degree" I will become the most beloved poster in this forum.

 

[benfranklin]

If they make it that far, they win it all. Most likely they would have eliminated the two best teams in the league to do that if recent history repeats itself

Thats a big if there. I wouldnt say they have no shot, but youre drastically underestimating the Rangers who I think would take down the Leafs and then whoever comes out the West. The Oilers are improved albeit a mirror version of the Leafs, but I still love whoever comes out of the Central. If the Avs dont have Nuke quit on them and a healthy Landeskog that is at least half of what he was, they're formidable again. Dallas is scary still and the Preds have drastically improved. And the Knights will magically get some insane soon to be UFA at the deadline and be a threat too.

 

[The Nuge]

So why is it so hard to imagine that after enough times getting punched in the face and a new voice and team identity, the talent can do what they normally do when it counts? It's not like these guys are not winners in life.

Marner the worst of them all was memorial cup MVP and an absolute warrior. What happened to that spirit? People say oh he got paid. Or maybe Keefe was coaching him wrong IDK. He had success under Keefe, but maybe Keefe was just too soft with him and Berube can find the right button to push.

Because what makes the 9th time the tipping point instead of the 8th time? I’m not saying it can’t happen. It just doesn’t seem reasonable to expect it to

 

[HockeyVirus]

Thats a big if there. I wouldnt say they have no shot, but youre drastically underestimating the Rangers who I think would take down the Leafs and then whoever comes out the West. The Oilers are improved albeit a mirror version of the Leafs, but I still love whoever comes out of the Central. If the Avs dont have Nuke quit on them and a healthy Landeskog that is at least half of what he was, they're formidable again. Dallas is scary still and the Preds have drastically improved. And the Knights will magically get some insane soon to be UFA at the deadline and be a threat too.

The rangers have the same problem as the Leafs, a core who vanishes in big moments. The Rangers are the Leafs if they had a stud goalie. And they found their guy in Woll

 

[HockeyVirus]

Because what makes the 9th time the tipping point instead of the 8th time? I’m not saying it can’t happen. It just doesn’t seem reasonable to expect it to

I don't really care about things CBJ series and before. They made the playoffs quickly and couldn't win with players 18-22. Most teams with those players don't sniff the playoffs.

What makes it different from the Habs series is the team has gotten better each year and more mature, and now they have a new coach for the first time really since they entered their prime. Also, they have the best Dcore and goaltending in the Matthews era.

The Oilers fired a coach basically every season to find the right one for them. Leafs have had Keefe and an abusive Babcock on their ELC

 

[McFlash97]

Look at the Oilers history. They were pretty meh for a long time. Wasn't until McDavid and Drai were 27/28 they became a legit contender. Thats the age of Marner and Matthews



I'd literally jump in front of a train

You must be living under a rock. The Oilers have been a legit playoff team making long runs for the last 3 seasons.

They almost made the conference finals in 2017. McDavids second season. This recent playoff push started when McDavid was 23 and Draisaitl 24.

The Leafs dont even sniff these guys jockstrap when it comes to playoff success.

HF gives people with absolute 0 evidence to back up thier opinion on a whim.

The last 3 cup champions are who the Oilers lost to. McDrai and Bouchard have posted some of the most insane playoff stats of all time in that timeframe.

In that same timeframe , the Leafs trio have made some of the most insane excuses too.. so I'll give you that.

Cmon man. Do some basic research

 

[Bozo Nicholson]

Prepare for bust, Morgan.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I'm curious what the "degree" is?

We've been busting so much and yet so little changes.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I'm curious what the "degree" is?

We've been busting so much and yet so little changes.

to a degree definition:

to a considerable extent; exceedingly.

It's a way of saying "really, it's the cup or bust"

 

[Darcy Tucker]

"I'm a man that believes in setting achievable and realistic goals, this year I think it's reasonable to expect this team to maybe make it to the second round. Based off the available data sets regarding this team, that would be a big success."

 

[pld459666]

Any player in the league tjats on a team in a similar situation should be saying the same things regardless of past playoff failures.

Nothing to see here.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

The leafs are this generation's Joe Thornton led San Jose Sharks. I do expect they will make a deep run at some point, but that team isn't built for playoff success and it starts at the top of the lineup. I know that is probably hard to swallow as a leaf's fan but its the reality. They need to shake that team up before their young assets all have a losing stain attached.

 

[Mr Positive]

Imo making the conference finals would be seen as a success for them

Anything less would be a fail. An incremental step forward won't do.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

Look at the Oilers history. They were pretty meh for a long time. Wasn't until McDavid and Drai were 27/28 they became a legit contender. Thats the age of Marner and Matthews

Mcdavid is 27 now. Oilers have been a legit contender for a few years now too, since McDavid and Drai have been 24/25 that team has made it out of the 1st round and lost to the eventual champions 3 years in a row now. There has been optimism in Edmonton for a few years now, and its because their stars show up when it counts. I don't get the same feeling when I watch Toronto.

 

[Beendair Donedat]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1836400516529598913

Was a theme of the Leafs pressers this year which are different than years past where they would allude to the goal but never actually placed expectations on themselves.

This is the year the Leafs figure it out under Berube and go on a cup run.

Hey, it’s the annual, this is DEFINITELY the Leafs year to win the cup thread.

And with their grand total of a single playoff series win since 2016, it’s easy to see why they think they are contenders.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

You must be living under a rock. The Oilers have been a legit playoff team making long runs for the last 3 seasons.

They almost made the conference finals in 2017. McDavids second season. This recent playoff push started when McDavid was 23 and Draisaitl 24.

The Leafs dont even sniff these guys jockstrap when it comes to playoff success.

HF gives people with absolute 0 evidence to back up thier opinion on a whim.

The last 3 cup champions are who the Oilers lost to. McDrai and Bouchard have posted some of the most insane playoff stats of all time in that timeframe.

In that same timeframe , the Leafs trio have made some of the most insane excuses too.. so I'll give you that.

Cmon man. Do some basic research

Ahh well said, I missed this reply. Yeah it feels like when you watch the Oilers that they are 1 or 2 tweaks away from getting over the hump, and when they lose it still feels like there was a step forward, as their stars performed well and the core took a step forward. When you watch Toronto play it feels like they are losing series they are supposed to win, and some of these losses have you coming away feeling very uneasy/unsure about their core.

 

[BostonBob]

I have no doubt that this time it will work out just as well as this did:

 

[Commander Clueless]

to a degree definition:

to a considerable extent; exceedingly.

It's a way of saying "really, it's the cup or bust"

Maybe I've been too close to it as a Leafs fan, but it feels like it's been cup or bust for a while.

So I guess I'm asking what the "considerable extent" might be in Rielly's mind when fans have already been there (and over the cliff) and what "bust" means in his mind (running it back again)?

I have no doubt that this time it will work out just as well as this did:

Worked out just fine.

They chose nothing.

 

[BostonBob]

Worked out just fine.

They chose nothing.

Did they have a parade to celebrate ????

 

[Commander Clueless]

Did they have a parade to celebrate ????

A parade to celebrate nothing!?

....Wait, you might be on to something...

 

[Darcy Tucker]

The leafs are this generation's Joe Thornton led San Jose Sharks. I do expect they will make a deep run at some point, but that team isn't built for playoff success and it starts at the top of the lineup. I know that is probably hard to swallow as a leaf's fan but its the reality. They need to shake that team up before their young assets all have a losing stain attached.

Auston Matthews is the polar opposite of Joe Thornton

 

[NVious]

why do leafs players always put this pressure on themselves besides side stepping the obvious set up

It's only Rielly here are some other quotes

"Well making the playoffs is a big thing, I feel like that's our cup" Matthews

"As long as my flow looks good out there, 1st, 2nd round whatever, it's all about my beautiful beautiful flow" Nylander

"PLEASE DON'T HIT ME, PLEASE DON'T HIT ME, PLEASE DON'T HIT ME,PLEASE DON'T HIT ME" Marner